SBI3U

Biology Unit Plan

Carrie Sun
CURR 304
February 1, 2015
PART A
Grade 11 University-Level Diversity of Life (SBI3U)
MY ENDURING KNOWLEDGE: What do I want my students to remember long after they leave
my class?

There are many different organisms in our world and universe that are not just plants and
animals, all of which are just as important or even more important in maintaining
biodiversity and ecosystems
How scientists research, identify, name, organize, and classify all these living organisms in
the universe and how we as budding researchers can use the same basic skills in lab
and/or field settings

Big Ideas for this Unit (from the

Curriculum Guidelines) (page 46)

All living things can be classified

according to their anatomical and
physiological characteristics
Human activities affect the diversity
of living things in ecosystems

Overall Expectations (from the Curriculum

Guidelines) (page 50)
B1. analyze the effects of various human activities
on the diversity of living things;
B2. investigate, through laboratory and/or field
activities or through simulations, the principles of
scientific classification, using appropriate sampling
and classification techniques;
B3. demonstrate an understanding of the diversity
of living organisms in terms of the principles of
taxonomy and phylogeny.

CULMINATING ACTIVITY or ACTIVITIES:

Project: Diversity of Life zoo exhibit

o You have been chosen by a Diversity of Living Things zoo to help create an
educational exhibit that provides information to guests about organisms/species
from any Kingdom of Life. You will have a set of criteria that you are to include in
the exhibit (questions and applications pertaining to the organisms characteristics,
classification, and biodiversity impact) (e.g. Create a dichotomous key to identify
your species from 6 other similar species.). Your job is to review these criteria
carefully and use the Internet and classroom text to conduct your research.
o Choosing a topic: The Zoo only needs information on the following kinds of animals
and only a certain number of people can pick each kind, to maintain diversity of life
in their zoo. A lottery system will be used to allot who gets to pick first, second,
third, etc.
o For this one, it is preferably to be a poster or powerpoint or prezi format. Follow
guidelines given in the planning booklets.
o Students are to give a seminar presentation on their organism.
Creative demo: What is Biodiversity?
o Students can research any topic related to biodiversity and demonstrate their

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findings and research in any modality they wish (e.g. song, art, video, book, etc.)
There will be a little bit of structure (e.g. whatever modality that is chosen must
include answers to some broad questions, like How are humans involved with this
issue of biodiversity?)
o But for the most part, student can demonstrate their learning in any form they want
o Students share their findings & their project in small groups, then can go around the
class to view others
Unit Test
o Just a regular unit test, that covers the units material
o Includes K/U, T/I, A, and C questions
o E.g. You overhear this on the news channel FoxNews: Ebola is so successful that it
could easily mutate and become airborne ANYDAY! Why is this statement
incorrect? Explain. (2 marks)
QUESTION 1: How do scientists research, organize, and
Reference or link(s)
classify organisms?
for any resources
used
o

Day 1: Introduction to Diversity of Life

Diagnostic: What is a species? Discussion and game
o Have students do a think-pair-share and come up with 4
examples of different species among their pairs, and
debrief
o Play the What is a species game on board, teacher
shows pictures of different organisms and asks class if
they are different species or not (one side of room is
different and other side is same) and debrief: discuss
why or why not
o E.g. ostrich vs penguin, different dog breeds, male and
female angelfish, 2 humans
Linnaeus, binomial nomenclature
o Match big cats to proper scientific name game, explore
and find the correct name
Debrief: What were you doing? How did you know
which name matched with which cat? Etc.
o Consolidation note:
Linnaeus interested in describing and classifying a
species based on relatedness with others.
Developed a system of classification that allowed
scientists to make connections among closely and
distantly related species.
Assumed a lot of wrong connections based on
morphology (physical characteristics)
Created a system called binomial nomenclature,
each organism gets 2 parts to their name
o Google game: Find the weirdest binomial name you can
online!
Formative: Do an exit card at the end of class: Write one thing
you learnt today, and one question or clarification you need
Day 2:
Taxonomic hierarchies

I made all Day 1

activities myself

Brief notes are from

Nelson Biology 11
textbook

Which one of these

doesnt belong and why

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Group students in random groupings using playing cards
Give each group a picture similar to
Game: Play and discuss which one of these doesnt
belong and why (students circle and write a description
on the side)
o Teacher debriefs and consolidates what they explored,
and explains the groupings in each level, and how each
level describes a specific degree of relatedness between
species
o Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
o Learning mnemonic: King Phillip Came Over From Great
Spain OR Keep Pond Clean Or Froggy Gets Sick
Dichotomous keys
o Akinator web genius website in their groups, give one
computer to each group. Ask students to go on the site,
and take turns picking a character, dead or alive, real or
fictional and go through the prompts.
o Debrief: Ask how do you think the computer does this?
o Relate back to classifying all 8.9 million living things
eliminate to lower and lower levels by asking a single
question
Make a summary note together with the class
o
o
o

Day 3:
Teacher shows class 7 different Pokemon
o Prompts class with how the characters differ or are
similar, asks students to think about it
o Walks through how to make a dichotomous key using
Pokemon, do it with the class, asking lots of prompting
questions
Give students time to work on a practice worksheet and create
your own key
Practice worksheets: Use a dichotomous key to identify the
plant and the fish
Formative: Think of 7 items in a group (e.g. logos, characters,
inanimate objects, imaginary animals). Create a dichotomous
key for these (hand in for formative assessment at end of class,
or tomorrow)

Day 4:
Take up homework from yesterday
Phylogeny
o Not sure how to do explore first, explain later style with
this topic its pretty nitty-gritty material and I dont
think they can just eureka it on their own

Used the examples and

assigned homework
questions from Nelson
Biology 11 Textbook
Also made my own

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Thus for now, teacher just teaches them how to read a
phylogenetic tree, what the different parts represent,
identifying clades, and how to make one based on a
characters table and vice versa, etc.
o Get student participation using question prompts so they
can come up to board and do parts themselves
Practice worksheet, and assigned homework questions
Exit slip: One thing you learned today, one question or
clarification you still have
o

Day 5:
Formative quiz on everything up to this point so far
Microscopy tutorial/lab
Teaching students to use and handle a microscope properly, as
well as some of the terminology needed to refer to important
parts (e.g. objectives)
Teaching also how to draw a correct microscopy diagram
Once they finish the pre-lab, they can do the E wet mount
lab they learn how to and make a wet mount with laserprinted pieces of paper with the letter E on them
After they get approval from teacher and teacher does a demo,
they can do the bacteria in yogurt lab, using same principles of
making a wet mount (teacher supervises bromethyl blue dye)
Diagnostic AND Formative: They can then explore the types
of bacteria they see in the yogurt, draw the specimens and
answer some of the questions (This lab is to be handed in as
well as both a diagnostic and a formative assessment)
Questions are for homework Segway into next topic
QUESTION 2: What are the defining characteristics of each
Kingdom of Life, and how do we sample and research them?
Day 1:
Diagnostic: Minds-on activity
o On board, write table with 6 kingdoms across top
o Give each student ~5 sticky notes, tell them each to
brainstorm as many organisms as they can for as many
of the columns as possible and place them in the correct
column
o Debrief with them after (common pattern: many animal
and plants, few protists and Achaea)
o Helps you know if they understand what an organism is,
how much they know about the defining characteristics
of kingdoms, and helps them begin to be aware of why
some organisms are in a particular category, etc.
Jigsaw: Assign students using playing cards to 6 groups, one for
each kingdom
o Give each group a chart paper and have students
research the following characteristics: reproduction,
defining characteristics, habitat, how they attain energy,

practice worksheet
myself

I created the microscopy

lab myself

All day 1 activities were

made by me

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o

and examples of species

Allow students to go back to their home groups to share
the details abut their particular kingdom and have
students create a wholesome note, with all 6 kingdoms

Day 2:
Viruses (not part of Kingdoms of Life)
Virus transmission POE
o Debrief and talk about how this relates to viruses, what
characteristics do virus have, etc.
o Encourage students to take notes during debrief as part
of record of their learning
Youtube video Im a virus rap and Lysogenic and Lytic cycle
o Debrief and have students write down any new points
they learnt from this video and any questions that arose
o Address and explore those questions together
Have students fill in the blanks on a lysogenic and lytic cycle
diagram on the board
Do a summary note together with the students, including any
important characteristics about viruses that was missed
Day 3:
Eubacteria
o Take up and debrief the yogurt bacteria lab, Segway into
naming the bacteria that the students found and drew
o Name that bacteria game! Present the rules of bacteria
conventional naming methods and do a classwide game,
similar to Jeopardy
o A brief note on characteristics of eubacteria, how they
reproduce, and how antibiotic resistance is conferred
Archaea
o A brief note on the 4 main groups of archaea
Endosymbiosis
o Youtube video Endosymbiosis
o Get students to fill in an endosymbiosis steps diagram on
the board
o Debrief and make a brief note together about
endosymbiosis
Formative: Students create their own iBook (app on iPad)
involving eubacteria, archaea, and endosymbiosis) and drop in
dropbox
Instruct students to bring a mushroom to class tomorrow (only
food kinds, no wild ones)
Day 4:
Protists
o Protist engulfing a bacteria video
Discuss with class: what happened? Which
organisms were involved?
o Reproduction: Alteration of Generations introduction
Present diagram to the students
Give each of them a role (e.g. spore,

POE From Cathys

QShare site on D2L
Virus rap:
http://youtu.be/kYf_Sl8W
3qY
Lysogenic and Lytic
cycle:
http://youtu.be/wLoslN6
d3Ec

All note information

taken from Nelson
Biology 11 book
Endosymbiosis
http://youtu.be/umKAkEr
_HLI

Protist feeds
http://youtu.be/W6rnhiM
xtKU

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gametophyte, etc.) and ask them to try and get

themselves in order based on the diagram they
see
Debrief and make the note together

Fungi
o Teacher demos how and students can make a spore print
o Mushroom lab students dissect and make a wet mount
of mushroom parts and answer questions
o Discuss and debrief about what they found from their
dissection
o Segway into creating a fungi characteristics note
together
Exit card is 2 KWL slips, one for plants and one for animals
(Leave the learnt column blank)

Day 5:
Plants
o Brief introduction to the 4 main groups of plants, their
defining characteristics, and one role model example
o Plant outdoor exploration game: Everyone goes outside,
teacher instructs students to find an example of at least
one or more of the following: an angiosperm, a
gymnosperm, a seedless nonvascular, and a seedless
vascular
(students in the past have been able to find little
mosses and fern pieces, but ferns are probably
most rare in this area of Canada)
Plant circle: Everyone goes around, says what they
found and what it is, and why it is that
o Make a plant summary note together with the class,
including any important points that were missed during
todays lesson
Animal jigsaw
o Group students based on the 8 phylums of animals
o (same idea as kingdoms of life jigsaw)
Give back the 2 KWL slips, have them fill out the learnt
column)
Formative quiz on all material pertaining to question 2
QUESTION 3: What is biodiversity and how do humans and
organisms influence and affect it?
Day 1:
Introduction to biodiversity
Diagnostic: Placemat activity - students brainstorm as much
as they can about everything they know about biodiversity,
even what they think it means
Segway into creating a note about biodiversity together with
the students based on their placemat answers
Case study breakout activity: Present each group with a
biodiversity issue (e.g. stocking the lakes with fish) and have

I made all Day 5

activities myself
All plant knowledge was
learnt from Nelson
Biology 11

All day 1 activities were

created by myself

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them create a T-chart for pros and cons of that issue

Modified jigsaw: Set up a debate room, where students can be
assigned to a certain issue and on a certain side and must
argue for or against another student on the other side for the
same issue. Have a rotation system

Day 2:
Specific types of biodiversity
Diagnostic: 4 corners activity
o Each corner of the room is assigned Genetic,
Structural, species, or none
o Call out statements or related issues to these types of
biodiversity, students go to the corner they think is most
correct
o Afterward, discuss what the difference is between the
different biodiversity types and make the note together
about the different types of biodiversity
Ask students to now brainstorm their own issues of biodiversity
and write it on one side of the board. Students may search the
internet for biodiversity related articles
Now ask any students to come up with solutions and write them
on the other side of the board
Segway into a discussion of how we as little people can also
help maintain biodiversity
Make a note together about sustainability and biodiversity
Exit card: One bad way people influence biodiversity, and one
good way
Day 3:
Group the students into 6 kingdoms of life
Each group is now responsible for researching how organisms in
their particular kingdom contribute, positively and negatively,
to biodiversity
Each group presents to another group their findings
Present the summative tasks and instructions and answer any
questions the students might have.
Do the lottery system for students picking their organism for
the zoo summative
Preferably before end of class: students decide their organism
Day 4:
Teacher leads workshop of how to give oral presentations
Students are then given blurbs related to this unit, with a
related visual, and asked to practice orally presenting this blurb
with a partner
Rest of day for working on summative(s) students tell teacher
which organism they wish to do
Day 5:
Formative quiz on all material relating to question #3
Rest of day will be used for working on summative(s)

All day 2 activities were

created by myself
Information is from
Nelson Biology 11

All day 3 activities were

created by myself

All day 4 activities were

created by myself

All day 5 activities were

created by myself

SBI3U

PART B
This modified unit task addresses all 3 questions in some part or capacity:
1) How do scientists research, organize, and classify organisms?
2) What are the defining characteristics of each Kingdom of Life, and how do we sample and
research them?
3) What is biodiversity and how do humans and organisms influence and affect it?
See next attached pages

SBI3U Summative Assignment Task

You have been chosen by a Diversity of Living Things zoo to help create an educational
exhibit that provides information to guests about organisms/species from any Kingdom of
Life. You will have a set of criteria that you are to include in the exhibit. Your job is to
review these criteria carefully and use the Internet and classroom text to conduct your
research.
Choose a topic: The Zoo only needs information on the following kinds of animals and
only a certain number of people can pick each kind, to maintain diversity of life in their
zoo. A lottery system will be used to allot who gets to pick first, second, third, etc. BUT If
you want a certain organism, you must have the first page of your planning
booklet filled out, TO SHOW THAT YOURE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS SPECIES. If
this page is not filled out, your species is allowed to go to someone else. If you
would like to pick another phylum not listed here, talk to Ms. Sun (may or may not get
approved).
1 mammal

1 cartilaginous fish

1 reptile

1 amphibian

1 bird

(e.g. shark)
1 bony fish

1 spider or related

1 annelida (e.g.

2 insects

1 jawless fish (e.g.

(arthropod)
1 mollusca (e.g.

earthworms)
1 crustacea

(arthropod)

lamprey)

octopus, squid,

(lobster, shrimp)

1 angiosperm

1 seedless

mollusk)
1 seedless non-

(arthropod)
1 gymnosperm

vascular plant

vascular plant

SBI3U

3 protists
2 fungi
2 eubacteria
2 archaea
Audience: Your information should be able to be understood by other Grade 11
students.
Format Choices: Seminar presentation. You must also create a Powerpoint, Prezi,
poster or a research paper to show your work.
Criteria for your contribution to the exhibit:
1) Characteristics of your species:
Background Information: Photo, Scientific name, habitat, geographic range,
food sources, metabolism (how it attains and uses energy), reproduction (life
cycle)
2) Classification of your species:
a. Morphology Create a dichotomous key that highlights the structural
features, both anatomical and physiological, of your species in comparison to
at least 6 other species, at least one of which should be very similar (snake
vs. lizard). Your audience should be able to use this key to identify your
species. Refer to the dichotomous key activities weve done in class to get
an idea of how to make your own.
b. Using a chart, show how your species progresses through each Taxonomic
Category (Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species)
in relation to other species. Give some examples of other species in each
Taxon group. You may use pictures.
c. Create a specimens microscope diagram of your organism. If it is not a
microscopic organism, create a specimens diagram of one of its features
(e.g. scale, feather, reproductive organs, fur, etc.)
3) Biodiversity and Human Impacts:
a. Biodiversity - What role does your species have in maintaining biodiversity?
For example, what are the implications of this species becoming endangered
or extinct? What other species depend on this animal for survival? Are there
any current threats to this species survival?
b. Human Impacts How are humans impacting the survival of your species
(positive and negative)?
4) Resources: Be sure to include a works cited of all the resources you used. Ms. Sun
will teach how to properly cite. No Wikipedia is allowed, but you can use the
sources at the bottom of Wikipedia.

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5) Planning Booklet: Use this booklet as a way to plan your task and gather pertinent
information.
Your completed planning booklet must be handed in with your exhibit.
6) Peer evaluation component: You will be assigned to peer evaluate 5 other students
in the class (names will be given). Likewise, others will be peer evaluating you. The
comments and mark will help me determine whether a presentation has been
effective in reaching the audience, which will then be a part of your grade.
NOTE THE FIRST THING ON YOUR BOOKLET IS TO GET YOUR TOPIC AND
FORMAT APPROVED.

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Diversity of Living Things: Planning Booklet

Name: ________________
Format: __________________________________________________
Topic (Species): ____________________________________________
TEACHER APPROVAL: _____________________________________
Resources:
Keep track of all of your resources here:

History of your species (Check-in: ASAP to get your species approved):

Background Information
- Photo: (resource)
- Scientific name:_____________________________________________________________
- Habitat:___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
- Geographical Range:__________________________________________________________
- Metabolism (How it attains energy):_______________________________________________
- If its heterotrophic, what does it eat:____________________________________________
- If its autotrophic, what does it use to make energy:
_________________________________
- Reproduction (life cycle): _______________________________________________________

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Classification of your species (Check in ____________________________):

a) Create a dichotomous key to identify your species from 6 other similar species.

b) Using the chart below, show how your species progresses through each Taxonomic
Category (Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species) in
relation to other species. Provide 1-2 defining characteristics of that taxonomic
rank (what do all of them have in common?) Give 2 examples of other species in
each Taxon group. You may use pictures.
Rank

Taxon Name

Defining
Characteristics

Examples of Species in
Taxon

Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
c) Create a specimens microscope diagram of your organism. If it is not a microscopic
organism, create a specimens diagram of one of its features (e.g. scale, feather,
reproductive organs, fur, etc.)

SBI3U

Biodiversity (Check-in: _________________): Make notes regarding the following

questions in relation to your species:
a) What role does your species have in maintaining biodiversity?

b) What are the implications of this species becoming endangered or extinct?

c) What other species depend this animal for survival?

d) Are there any current threats to this species survival?

Human Impacts:
a) How are humans impacting the survival of your species (positive and negative)?
Try to give about 4 or 5 examples.

b) What kind of jobs could be associated with or involving your species? Another way
to think about it: How can humans use your species for their benefit?

c) Who are 1 or 2 notable scientists doing research with your species? What
discoveries have they found?

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Use your information from your planning booklet to create your contribution to your zoo
exhibit (i.e., the written format you chose: prezi, slideshow, poster, etc.).
This project assesses the following skills:
A1.3 identify and locate a variety of print and
electronic sources that enable them to address
research topics fully and appropriately
A1.7 select, organize, and record relevant
information
on research topics from a variety of
appropriate sources, including electronic, print,
and/or human sources, using suitable formats and
an accepted form of academic documentation
A1.9 analyse the information gathered from
research
sources for logic, accuracy, reliability,
adequacy, and bias
A1.10 draw conclusions based on inquiry results
and research findings, and justify their conclusions
with reference to scientific knowledge
A1.11 communicate ideas, plans, procedures,
results, and conclusions orally, in writing, and/or
in electronic presentations, using appropriate
language and a variety of formats (e.g., data
tables, laboratory reports, presentations, debates,
simulations, models)
A1.12 use appropriate numeric, symbolic, and
graphic modes of representation (e.g., biological
diagrams, Punnett squares), and appropriate
units of measurement (e.g., SI and imperial units)
A2.1 identify and describe a variety of careers
related to the fields of science under study
(e.g., zoologist, botanist, geneticist, ecologist,
pharmacologist, farmer, forester, horticulturalist)
and the education and training necessary for
these careers
A2.2 describe the contributions of scientists,
including Canadians (e.g., Colin DCunha,
Louis Bernatchez, Lap-Chee Tsui, Helen Battle,
Memory Elvin-Lewis), to the fields under study

B1.1 analyse some of the risks and

benefits of
human intervention to the biodiversity
of aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems
B2.1 use appropriate terminology related
to biodiversity,
including, but not limited to: genetic
diversity, species diversity, structural
diversity,
protists, bacteria, fungi, binomial
nomenclature,
and morphology
B2.2 classify, and draw biological
diagrams of,
representative organisms from each of
the
kingdoms according to their unifying and
distinguishing anatomical and
physiological
characteristics (e.g., vertebrate or
invertebrate
organisms, vascular or nonvascular
plants)
B2.4 create and apply a dichotomous key
to identify
and classify organisms from each of the
kingdoms
B3.1 explain the fundamental principles
of
taxonomy and phylogeny by defining
concepts
of taxonomic rank and relationship, such
as
genus, species, and taxon
B3.3 describe unifying and distinguishing
anatomical and physiological
characteristics (e.g., types of
reproduction, habitat, general physical

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structure) of representative organisms

from each of the kingdoms
B3.5 explain why biodiversity is
important to
maintaining viable ecosystems (e.g.,
biodiversity
helps increase resilience to stress and
resistance
to diseases or invading species)
PART C: How do I align my purpose with my practice? How do I make the abstract concrete?

What Will We Do?

Why?

Content/Learning Agenda

Day 1
Diagnostic Activity: What is a species?
Discussion and game
Have students do a think-pairshare and come up with 4
examples of different species
among their pairs, and debrief.
o Create a note together

with the following

scaffolding questions: E.g.

Why did they pick the

organisms they did? What
makes each of them a
species? What makes them
similar? What makes them
different?
Play the What is a species game
on board, teacher shows pictures
of different organisms and asks
class if they are different species or
not. One side of room is different
and other side is same, students
move to whichever one they think
o Debrief: discuss why or why
not, and why they went to
the spot they picked add to
their notes
o E.g. ostrich vs penguin,
different dog breeds, male
and female angelfish, 2
humans, a liger, etc.

Linnaeus, binomial nomenclature

Seeing how much

they know about
the species
concept and to
dispel any
misconceptions.
Cooperative
learning strategy
Creating notes
together in
student-words

Kinesthetic
learning
Student centred
active learning
Makes them think
about why they are
going to the place
they do and
explaining their
answer making
connections to add
to their note
Kinesthetic

Content.
What is a species?
How are species
named and why?
Linnaeus binomial
nomenclature
system
Learning.
To define a species
and understand what
makes a species and
what isnt
How and why species
are named the way
they are

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Match big cats to proper scientific
name game, explore and find the
correct name
o Each student gets some
pictures of some wild
animals like tigers, lions, and
bears, and must go around
the room to find the
scientific name they think
matches with their picture
o Debrief: Create a note

learning
Student-centered
active learning:
exploratory and
explanatory
learning

together with the

following scaffolding
questions: What were you

doing? How did you know

which name matched with
which cat? Etc.
o Also include the
consolidation note
Consolidation note:
o Linnaeus interested in
describing and classifying a
species based on
relatedness with others.
o Developed a system of
classification that allowed
scientists to make
connections among closely
and distantly related
species.
o Assumed a lot of wrong
connections based on
morphology (physical
characteristics)
o Created a system called
binomial nomenclature, each
organism gets 2 parts to
their name
Google game: Find the weirdest
binomial name you can online!
o Write your weirdest find on
the board, and we can see
what kind of weird
organisms there are!

Exit card: Write one thing you learnt

today, and one question or clarification
you need

Connections and
consolidation
Helps with visual
and auditory
learning

Fun consolidation
activity

Consolidation, also
can use as a
formative

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Day 2
Taxonomic hierarchies
Group students in random
groupings using playing cards
Give each group a taxonomic
hierarchy picture (see part A for
example)
Game: Play and discuss which one
of these doesnt belong and why
(students circle and write a
description on the side)
Teacher debriefs and consolidates
what they explored, and explains
the groupings in each level, and
how each level describes a specific
degree of relatedness between
species make the note together
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order,
Family, Genus, Species
Learning mnemonic: King Phillip
Came Over From Great Spain OR
Keep Pond Clean Or Froggy Gets
Sick
Dichotomous keys
Akinator web genius website in
their groups, give one computer to
each group. Ask students to go on
the site, and take turns picking a
character, dead or alive, real or
fictional and go through the
prompts.
Debrief: Ask how do you think the
computer does this?
Relate back to classifying all 8.9
million living things eliminate to
lower and lower levels by asking a
single question

Safe place where

everyone knows
each other, and so
people can sit in
new places
Student centred
active learning:
Collaborative
exploratory
learning
Making a note
together in
student-friendly
words

Content
Taxonomy What it
is and how it is used
Main taxonomic
levels
Intro to dichotomous
keys
Learning
A mnemonic to help
remember the
taxonomic levels
How taxonomic
levels are organised
Intro to dichotomous
keys and how they
are used

Learning
mnemonic helps
with rote memory
learning
Using technology in
fun, collaborative,
and educational
way (fun
interactive website
that astounds
people)

Make a summary note together with the

class

Making
connections
between computer
algorithms and
categorisation with
organism
categorisation

Day 3:
Teacher shows class 7 different
Pokemon
o Prompts class with how the
characters differ or are
similar, asks students to
think about it
o Walks through how to make

Consolidation
Using relatable
content to help
students learn and
consolidate their
understanding
about dichotomous
keys and how to
make one (The

Content
What is a
dichotomous key,
how to use one, and
how to make one
Learning
What is a

SBI3U

a dichotomous key using

Pokemon, do it with the
class, asking lots of
prompting questions
Give students time to work on a
practice worksheet and create your
own key
Practice worksheets: Use a
dichotomous key to identify the
plant and the fish

Formative: Think of 7 items in a group

(e.g. logos, characters, inanimate objects,
imaginary animals). Create a
dichotomous key for these (hand in for
formative assessment at end of class, or
tomorrow)

final steps of
Blooms taxonomy:
applying and
creating!)
Students
participate and
think about the
connection
between Pokemon
characteristics and
organisms
characteristics
Giving students inclass time to do
work
Formative
assessment to get
feedback from the
teacher to see how
theyre
understanding

dichotomous key,
how to use one, and
how to make one